The Legislature raised the gas tax by 6 cents per gallon to avoid losing $60 million in federal transportation funds. And undocumented farmworkers in Vermont gained the right to obtain driving privilege cards.

Part of the reason for raising the diesel tax, explained Senate Transportation member Sen. Richard Westman, R-Lamoille, is to balance the tax burden broadly and fairly among all users of the state’s transportation infrastructure.

“For the state to solve this problem [alone], we’d have to more than double what Vermonters are currently paying through a variety of sources – taxes and fees – to fund the transportation system. That’s simply not realistic,” Searles said.